You might not think it… but I’ve taken in my share of death metal, hardcore punk, speed metal – you name it. Over the years the labels change but the sound is still there. I’ve been front of stage for SNFU, Kentucky Church Bus, Hudson Mack, Sofa Kingdom and many others. I’ve got a scar from getting my camera smacked back into my face accidentally and I’m pretty sure I can’t hear properly out of my right ear.

That being said, dude – so worth it.

Over the years it seems a lot of the music world has swung toward the iconic “guy with an acoustic guitar” and while I can appreciate that sound it’s not the only sound.

“American Standards” caught my eye on Facebook. They’re a “punk infused hardcore band” from the southern US and I like what I’ve seen so far. It’s loud, fast and sounds awesome; what more could you want? Well, they’re pretty cool guys as well. They make their own band merch when they can – even purchased a screenpress for tees. They do a lot of charity work and promote music when they’ve got time.

Now, I haven’t seen them live but you can see for yourself if you take a look through the comments left by their fans that they rock. Seems like they’re breathing some life back into the “genre” (Don’t ya hate labels?) Brandon Kellum (Vocals), Corey Skowronski ( Bass), Brennen Westermeyer (Guitar) and Geoff Gittleson(Drums) are putting some heart and soul into their tunes.

They’ve certainly got the attention of some of the right kinds of folks. Yesterday the band announced they’ve been signed to “We Are Triumphant Records” (Neck Deep, My Bitter End, Havenside – ring any bells?) This means that, with distribution by “Victory Records” you’re gonna be able to pick up more merch and, hopefully see them on stage near you!

Check out the video below to get a better idea of what they’ve got going on.